Cabinet-enclosed posting tray



Feb. 23, 1937. D. E. HUNTER 2,07L93@ CABINE? ENCLOSED POSTING TRAY Original Filedct. '16, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l wime.' M

Jm i f\ f Feb. 23, 1937.

D. E. HUNTER CABINET ENCLOSED PSTING TRAY 3 sheets-sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 16, 1933 WN WN.

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Feb. 23, 1937. D, E HUNTER www CABINET ENCLOSED POSTNG TRAY Original Filed Oct. le, 1935 3 sheets-snee; 3

Patented Feb. 23, 1937 iJieii'ED STATES PATENT @FFME CABINET-ENCLOSED POSTING TRAY David E. Hunter, Muskegon, Mich., assigner to The Shaw-Walker Company, Muskegon, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Claims.

This invention relates to an improved reproof cabinet-enclosed posting tray and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a fireprooi cabinet in which is located a carrier for a tray for posting cards or the like, which carrier is vertically movable in the cabinet body to bring it to elevated position after the cabinet is opened and to return it to the bottom of the cabinet when the lid is to be closed. The cabinet comprises a body open at the top and has a slidable insulated lid or cover which may be slid forward on the top of the body to close the opening therein, Where it will be automatically locked or may be slid back on top of the body and then swung to a vertical position against the rear end oi the body entirely out of the Way of the vertically movable posting tray. 2U" An object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for guiding the 4carrier in its vertical movement in the body oi the cabinet in conjunction with an actuating device for raising the carrier to bring it to the desired elevated position.

Another object is to provide simple and eflicient means for automatically returning the carrier to its bottom position in the cabinet when the lid of the cabinet is to be brought to closed locked relano tion on the top of the cabinet.

This application is a division of an application led by me October 16, 1933, Serial Number 693,747.

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a View in perspective of the improved iireproof cabinet-enclosed posting tray with the lid open;

Figure 2 is a view on a scale greater than that of Figure 1, showing a longitudinal vertical sec- 40 tion through the cabinet in a plane parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the cabinet;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 but with the cabinet lid open, the plane of the section being proximate to the vertical side wall of the cabinet opposite that which appears in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse horizontal section through the cabinet in a plane indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of one rear corner of the lid of the cabinet;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary Vperspective view of the same corner looked at in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of a 55 Y rear top corner of the cabinet corresponding to the fragmentary views of the lid shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Referring now to the drawings and to the specio embodiment of the invention illustrated there- I indicates an open top cabinet body and I I, a sliding, tilting lid or cover therefor. Both the body ES and the lid II, as shown, are made of sheet metal formed or fabricated to provide a hollow double wall structure lled with a suitable insulation material, as cement or the like. The cabinet body comprises a bottom or base wall I2, front and rear end walls I3 and i4, a right-hand side wall I5 and a left-hand side wall I6. The relative terms, right and left, are used for purposes of description and are applied as to one standing in front of the cabinet body and looking towards its rear end.

'Ille lid I I is slidable in suitable horizontal ways or channels in the inner marginal faces of the body side walls I5 and I6 to uncover or to cover the open top of the cabinet body. In addition, devices correlated With said ways or channels are provided to limit the sliding rearward uncovering movement of the lid and to permit a swinging movement of the lid on a transverse axis to a position of rest in an upright position outside the rear end wall I4, with the open top of the cabinet body entirely uncovered, as shown in Figure l. 5a, ISa indicate horizontal, laterally open channels in the side walls of the cabinet and I3a indicates a like channel in the front end Wall i3 of the cabinet. The top of the rear end wall I is in the common plane of the bottom sides of the side Wall channels I5a, IEa and of the front wall channel Ita, thus presenting a four-sided bearing support for the lid when in closed position. The ribs i513, IGZ) denning the top sides of the channels E5a., |60., are notched as indicated, respectively, at I5c, IGC, so that the respective channels open through the top of the cabinet Wall by means of said notches.

The lid II has lateral top flanges II a, Ila and a iront flange IIb adapted to overlap upon the top ends of the side walls l5, I6, and front wall I3. The lid is also provided at its front end with a transverse forwardly opening horizontal channel I Ic in a plane immediately below the said flanges IIa, IIa, IIb, adapted to be snugly engaged by the rib I3b which denes the top side of the channel l3a in the front end wall of the cabinet, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

I1, I8 indicate front and rear pairs of at, thin rollers suitably journalled on the lateral edges of the lid and adapted to roll on the bottom sides of the channels Ia, I6a of the cabinet side walls. Beyond the rollers I8 towards the rear, are horizontal lugs I9, fixed to the lateral edges of the lid below its lateral top flanges IIa, I la to clear the top sides of the channels I5a, Ia presented by the ribs I5b, I5?) on the side walls, when the door is slid forwardly or backwardly in said channels. At the forward end of the lid and in the plane of the lugs I9, there are similarly disposed lugs I9a xed to the lateral edges of the lid.

The channels I5a, Ia are carried beyond the rear end wall I3 of the cabinet, as shown in Figure 7. The top parts of the side walls of the cabinet each have rearwardly extending projections Zl for this purpose. A fulcrum block 2i is secured to each projection 20. Each said channel is continued into the associated fulcrum block, wherein it is closed by a rounded end 22 of said block adapted to receive and to be engaged by the associated rear roller I8 when the lid is moved rearwardly in its ways to bring the roller to that position. Ihe rounded end 22 of the fulcrum block is provided with a slot or notch 23 in the plane of the lug I9, when the lid is in horizontal position, to permit the passage through it of the lug I9 in the rearward movement of the lid. The lid itself is provided with rounded shoes 24, each having a base 25 by which it is secured to the rear end of the lid adjacent its lateral edge. Said shoe 24 is adapted to engage the proximate margin of the fulcrum block 2l and close the notch 23. It also provides a closure strip or band for the lid against the fulcrum block.

The lugs I9, I9 and ISa, I9a, are so placed in the length of the lid that when the lid is moved rearwardly to open the cabinet, the lugs I 9a will be brought to a position to clear the forward edges of the notches |50, I6c in the ribs I5b, ISI), justI as the forward edges of the lugs I9 pass through the notches 23 beyond and clear the rear rounded ends 22 of the fulcrum'blocks 2l. At this time the rollers I8 will engage and become arrested by the end walls 22 of said fulcrum blocks, and the closure may be swung forwardly about the common axis of said rollers to the position shown in Figure 3. In the reverse movement of the closure, it is swung downwardly on said rollers to bring it to horizontal position, after which it may be moved forwardly to the position shown in Figure 2. In this second, closing movement, the lugs I9 will prevent any forward movement of the closure until the lugs I9a have cleared the forward edges of the notches I5c, I6c in the ribs I5b, Ib and the lugs I9 have been brought into alignment with their respective notches 23, after which the closure may be moved to its forward position, as shown in Figure 2. Thus the lugs I9 prevent a forward movement of the closure II beyond a position where the lugs I9a may be brought to proper register with the said notches I 5c, Ic. The rear rollers I8 are preferably so placed in the length of the lid that when they are thus arrested by the fulcrum block, the rearward length of the lid will over-balance the part of the lid forward of said rollers so that the lid will automatically swing on said rollers as a pivot to Vertical position, as shown in Figure 3. Rubber bumpers 26 are preferably fixed to the bottoms of the shoe bases 25 to strike the rear end wall of the cabinet and arrest the lid in its movement to this position. A knob or handle 2'? is provided at the forward end of the lid to be grasped when operating the lid either to open or to close it; and a suitable latch or lock 23 is provided at the front end of the lid to automatically lock the lid against rearward sliding movement after the lid has been brought to closed position, as shown in Figure 2.

The rear end 29 of the lid projects beyond and overhangs the rear end wall I4 of the cabinet, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5. Said overhanging part 29 depends below the top of the rear end wall I 4, is adapted for close engagement therewith and is formed to present an inwardly projecting, horizontal rib or tongue 3G spaced below the bottom plane of the main part of the lid for engagement in a horizontal, rearwardly-opening channel 3| formed near the top end of the said rear wall i4. Said channel 3l extends between and is closed at its ends by the projections 29 of the side walls I5, I6. When the lid is slid home to closed position against the front wall I3 of the cabinet body, the horizontal tongue 30 on its rear end will engage and lock in the channel or groove 3I on the rear end wall. The lid will thus be closed against the cabinet body at both sides and at its front and rear ends by tongue and groove closures presenting a seal between lid and body for fire resistance.

In the cabinet is located a vertically movable carrier 32 designed for the support of the posting tray or other similar oilce equipment. Said carrier is of any familiar construction and is preferably made of sheet metal. It has a bottom wall 33, upright side walls 34, 34 and shorter end walls 35, 35. The oce equipment to be supported thereby is not shown in the drawings. The carrier is of somewhat smaller horizontal dimensions than the cabinet to leave space for mechanism, presently to be described, located between the upright side walls of the tray and the upright walls of the cabinet. This space is closed as much as possible by horizontally disposed flexible gaskets 36 attached to or made rigid with the upright walls of the carrier and yieldingly engaged with the upright walls of the cabinet. These gaskets are designed to trap to a large extent the air in the space between the bottom of the carrier and the bottom of the cabinet, so that when the carrier, after it has been raised to its uppermost position in the cabinet, is released by the supports holding it in that position, it will fall by gravity slowly to the bottom of the cabinet, its fall being regulated by the air cushion presented by the trapped air.

Fixed tothe upright side walls I5, I 6 of the cabinet are vertically disposed ratchet bars 31, 38, respectively. With one of said ratchet bars, in this case as described and preferably, the rack bar 3l attached to the right-hand cabinet wall I 5, there is associated a jack bar 39 for operating a gravity pawl 40 to lift the carrier. The pawl 40 is carried by a quadrant bar 4I which is fulcrumed on the proximate side wall of the carrier by a pin 42, so as to be swung in a Vertical plane in the space between said side wall and the proximate side wall of the cabinet. The jack bar 39 and the quadrant bar 4I are designed to be connected to operate as one as a bell crank lever. To this end the jack bar 39 is provided with a laterally extending pin 43 at its end. A second laterally extending pin 44 on the quadrant engages in a slot 45 in the jack bar at a distance from its end and in the neighborhood of the upper end of the quadrant bar 4I. The pin 43 carried by the jack bar is adapted to be engaged in the arcuate slot 46 in the quadrant bar 4I so that the jack bar 39 may be swung on the pin 44 as an axis to move the jack bar from a position shown in full lines in Figure 3, to the folded position shown in dotted lines therein. A notch 46a is providedA at one end of the slot 46 for engagement by the pin 43 when the jack bar is moved to shift the pin 44 on the quadrant bar to the. upper end of its slot 45 in the jack bar. This makes rigid connection between the jack bar 39 and the quadrant bar 4I so that the two may act as one to operate the gravity pawl 40.

On the other side of the carrier in the space proximate to the side wall I6 of the cabinet, there is pivoted a gravity pawl 41 in position to engage the ratchet bar 38. This pawl is designed to support the carrier in any position to which it may be raised. Whenvthe jack bar 39 on the right-hand side of the carrier is swung to the left, as shown in Figure 3, the carrier will be lifted, as in the familiar operation of a jack, until the gravity pawl 41 engages in the next tooth above. Then, by swinging the jack bar 39 to the right, the pawl 40 may be brought to engage the next tooth above in its associated ratchet bar, which it is shown as engaging in Figure 3. There will thus be Aobviously a step by step lifting movement of the carrier, supported in each position by the gravity pawl 41 in engagement with a tooth in its ratchet bar 38, until the carrier has been raised to the required level to bring the posting tray carried thereby to the desired position for use. This level will vary with different people. To provide for closer adjustment, the teeth in the two ratchet bars nearer the top are spaced closer than those further down.

When the carrier is to be lowered in the cabinet, it is simply necessary to disengage the two gravity pawls 41 and 48 from their engagement with their respective ratchet bars, whereupon the carrier will descend by gravity to the bottom of the cabinet, its downward movement being restrained and slowed down by the air cushion formed by the yielding gaskets 36 sliding against the vertical walls of the cabinet. To bring about the disengagement of the pawls 41, 46, a trip arm 48 is provided in the space between the left-hand side wall I6 of the cabinet and the proximate wall of the carrier. Said arm extends vertically above the level of the top of the carrier and is fixed to the projecting end of a horizontal shaft 49 having bearing in the upright side walls of the carrier. Said arm is in the vertical plane of the gravity pawl 41 and has a trip arm 50 extending below and in the plane of an arm 41a cf the gravity pawl 41. When the arm 48 is shifted from the position shown in Figure 2 to the right, as for example, shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, the trip arm 5D will engage the arm 41a of the gravity pawl 41 and remove it from engaging position with its ratchet bar 38. On the end of the shaft 49 which extends beyond the other upright side wall of the carrier, is iixed an arm 5I. Said arm 5I is connected by a link 52 to an arm 53 pivoted on a pin 54 to the side wall of the carrier in the plane of the gravity pawl 40. The gravity pawl 49 has an arm 40a which extends into the neighborhood of the arm 53. When the arm 48 is shifted in the manner shortly above described, to disengage. the gravity pawl 41 from engagement with its ratchet bar, the arm 53 operated through the shaft 49, the arm 5| and the link 52, is swung to engage the arm 40a and'disengage the gravity pawl 4U from its ratchet bar. Thus the operation of the arm 48 acts to trip the supports of the carrier at any level. A pin 55 is pivotally hung from the arm 48 at a point spaced from the shaft 49 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the arm 5D extends. Said pin depends through a hole in the bottom of the carrier. When the carrier approaches a position of rest at the bottom of the cabinet, the pin 55 strikes the bottom wall of the cabinet and swings the arm 48 back to its original position, as shown in Figure 2. This movement acts to release both the gravity pawl 41 and the gravity pawl 49, which then swing back into their normal position for engagement with their respective ratchet bars.

In order to guide the carrier in its vertical movement within the cabinet, vertical ways 56, 56 are xed to the vertical sides of the cabinet. In each said ways run rollers 51, rotatively mounted on the upright side walls of the carrier, as shown.

Preferably, these ways are formed in the same metal plates which have. the ratchet teeth.

To insure a smooth and even vertical movement to both sides of the carrier, notwithstanding the location of the jack which brings about this movement on one side only of the carrier, a shaft 58 is rotatively mounted in the upright side walls of the carrier. Outside of said walls pinions 59, 59 are xed to said shaft and are engaged with vertically disposed racks G5, Said racks also are preferably formed on the same bars which on their other edges present the ratchet bars and, as shown, the shaft 58 is coaxial with and has fixed to it one yof the rollers 51, which travels in one of the ways 56. Obviously, when the carrier is moved upwardly step by step by the jack bar, the pinion 59 on the side or" the jack bar will rotate. This will rotate the shaft 58 and with it the pinion 59 on the other side oi the carrier, which will, therefore, climb at the same rate as the rst named side of the carrier.

The operation of my improved reproof cabinet-enclosed posting tray will be obvious from the foregoing description. Assume the cabinet closed, as shown in Figure 2. The operator desiring to get at the posting tray, turns the lock 28 to release the lid and, by grasping the handle 21 slides the lid b-ackwardly towards the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3. As Soon as the lugs I9 have passed through the slots 23, the lugs ISa will have come to a position below the rib notches ic, 15e to clear the ribs |529, I 6b. The rollers I8 will have come to bear in the fulcrum blocks 2l. On account of the overweight of the rear end of the lid beyond the rollers I8, said lid will automatically swing upon the rollers I8 to upright vertical position, as shown in full lines in Figure 3, being finally arrested by the bumpers 26 striking the rear end wall of the cabinet.

The operator with his right hand then lifts the jack bar 39 from the folded position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, to operative position, as shown by full lines therein. He then swings the jack bar towards and from him to lift the carrier step by step in the manner hereinbefore described. This is continued until the carrier, with the cards or other posting devices carried therein, have been brought to a suitable level for the convenience of the operator. He then proceeds with his work. Having nished with the same, he moves the arm 49 from its position of rest (against the top 48a on the side wall of the carrier, as shown in Figure 2) shown in full lines in Figure 2 to the position shown in dotted lines. This disengages both pawls 43 and 41 from engagement with their respective ratchet bars removing' all support from the carrier. The carrier then slowly descends to the bottom of the cabinet. When it reaches the bottom of the cabinet, the operator, having rst folded the jack bar 39 to inoperative position, by means of the handle 2l, swings the lid l l forwardly and downwardly to bring the rollers I1 into engagement with their respective channels or ways .and then pullsthe lid forward until its front end engages against the front end wall of the cabinet, in which position it is automatically locked, as hereinabove described.

The posting tray, or other device, supported on the carrier, will be seated on horizontal rails presenting a grill surface fixed to the walls of the carrier above the level of the shafts 58 and dS.

The advantages and the simplicity and ease of operation of the new structure will be manifest. The folding down of the jack bar into horizontal position, a quick shift of the trip arm i8 to operate the trip mechanism, with the resulting descent of the carrier and a pull on the handle 2l of the lid, all accomplished in the space of a short time, results in the closure of the cabinet with its valuable oilce devices safely protected from re and the short time required for this operation is ofv enormous value in case of the sudden appearance of fire in the oflice in which the device is located.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination with a cabinet body, a carjacent the sides of said carrier, a jack bar fulcrumed on one side wall of said carrier, a pawl carried thereby engageable with one of said ratchet bars, a gravity pawl pivoted on the other side of said carrier engageable with the other ratchet bar, and a hand-operated trip mechanism for disengaging both pawls from their respective ratchet bars.

2. In combination with a cabinet body having side, bottom and end walls and open at the top, vertically extending ratchet bars fixed to each side or said body, a carrier in said body, Vertically extending ways formed in said ratchet bars, rollers on said carrier engaged in said ways, vertically extending rack bars rigid with said ratchet bars and ways, pinions engaged with said rack bars, a shaft journalled in said carrier, said pinions being xed to said shaft beyond said carrier, a jack bar journalled on one side wall of said carrier and carrying a pawl engaged with one of said ratchet bars, and a gravity pawl pivoted to the other side of said carrier engaged with the other ratchet bar.

3. In combination with a cabinet body having side, bottom and end walls `and open at the top, vertically extending ratchet bars fixed to each side of said body, a carrier in said body, vertically extending Ways formed in said ratchet bars, rollers on said carrier engaged in said ways, vertically extending rack bars rigid with said ratchet bars and ways, pinions engaged with said rack bars, a shaft journalled in said carrier, said pinions being xed to said shaft be` yond said carrier, a jack bar journalled on one side wall of said carrier and carrying a pawl engaged with one of said ratchet bars, a gravity pawl pivoted to the other side of said carrier engaged with the other ratchet bar, and a handoperated trip mechanism for releasing both pawls from their respective ratchet bars.

fl. In combination with a cabinet body having side, bottom and end walls and open at the top, vertically extending ratchet bars xed to each side of said body, a carrier in said body, vertically extending ways formed in said ratchet bars, rollers on said carrier engaged in said ways, vertically extending rack bars rigid with said ratchet bars and ways, pinions engaged with said rack bars, a shaft journalled in said carrier, said pinions being iixed to said shaft beyond said carrier, a jack bar journalled on one side wall of said carrier and carrying a pawl engaged with one of said ratchet bars, said jack bar including a folding handle bar normally inoperative when in one position but operative when in vertical position, and a gravity pawl pivoted to the other side of said carrier engaged with the other ratchet bar.

5. In combination with a cabinet body, a carrier vertically movable in said body, vertically extending ratchet bars secured to the body adjacent the sides of said carrier, a jack bar fulcrumed on one side wall of said carrier, a pawl carried therebyv engageable with one of said ratchet bars, ar gravity pawl pivoted on the other side of said carrier engageable with the other ratchet bar, a hand-operated trip mechanism for disengaging both pawls from their respective ratchet bars, and a device depending from said carrier adapted for engagement with said cabinet body for restoring said pawls to their normal position.

' DAVID E. HUNTER.. 

